What causes jet lag?

To prevent jet lag, it’s a good idea to avoid napping on the plane if travelling during daylight hours

Your body’s 24-hour internal body clock is governed by circadian rhythms – which are disrupted when you cross through and into different time zones.

The body clock becomes set to your time zone by daylight hours and social interaction, so you’re prepared to wake up fresh in the morning and wind down at night.

How can you treat jet lag?

The symptoms of jet lag tend to ease naturally within a few days, and the NHS advise a ‘common sense’ approach to treating it.

This includes eating and sleeping at the correct times for your new time zone, avoiding napping as soon as you arrive, and spending time outdoors – because the natural daylight will help your body adjust to a new routine.

Meanwhile, lowering oxygen levels in an aeroplane cabin could be the magic cure for combating jet lag, according to one study.

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in Israel, say lowering oxygen levels in the air we breathe may aid recovery – after the move proved effective in mice.